crossroad

noun

cross·​road ˈkrȯs-ˌrōd 

also -ˈrōd

1

: a road that crosses a main road or runs cross-country between main roads

2

usually crossroads ˈkrȯs-ˌrōdz 

also -ˈrōdz

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

a

: the place of intersection of two or more roads

b(1)

: a small community located at such a crossroads

(2)

: a central meeting place

c

: a crucial point especially where a decision must be made

Synonyms of crossroad

• intersection
• corner
• junction

Examples of crossroad in a Sentence

Traffic was stopped at the crossroad.

We turned onto a crossroad.

Recent Examples on the Web

The feature centers on two women — Yoriko (Takako Matsu), an artist living in rural Nagi, and her friend and former sister-in-law Yuri (Shizuka Ishibashi) — at a crossroads and searching for a way to move forward. —Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 12 May 2026

The Sprinters Last July, Groenewegen’s career was at a mini-crossroads. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026

He is headed into a crossroads season in 2026, the final of his rookie contract, despite having just turned 24 years old. —Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 May 2026

The company now finds itself at a crossroads, in some ways a victim of its own success. —Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for crossroad

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• decode

Kids Definition

crossroad

noun

cross·​road ˈkrȯs-ˌrōd 

-ˈrōd

1

: a road that crosses a main road or runs across country between main roads

2

a

: a place where roads cross

—usually used in plural

b

: a small community at a crossroads

3

: a place or time at which a decision must be made